We all know those people. Unfortunately out of shape, unmotivated individuals with more excuses than you thought humanly possible, the most prominent of them being — lack of time.
Well, to all you workaholics, homebodies, and family men (women too) out there, “You’re welcome”. We’ve dug up the solution to your time management travesty, excavating an exercise format so savage and efficient that you’ll wish it was 17 minutes. Known as the Total Body Tremor, this 18-minute routine activates just about every known muscle with a series of inventive movements.
Thanks to Men’s Health and probably semi-ethical science, the Total Body Tremor employs a common modality (circuit training) with a not so common twist. 50 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest sounds close to Tabata but taken to the next level. Peruse the demonstration.
Beyond The Workout
In light of this, there are a few key takeaways from this full body circuit.
Intervals: Modifying work/rest ratios is nothing new. However, most get stuck in the rut of only using “classic” breakdowns, such as 1:1, 2:1, or 1:2. Tabata is another efficient route to getting in shape, but the moral of the story is to get creative. We’re throwing ideas at you, expand upon them.
Variance: Isolation exercises like preacher curls, lateral raises, and leg extensions feel great, but they lack the functional, real life application that compound, dynamic movements offer. By no means throw your arm routines out like your abused, old shaker bottle, rather shift your priorities.
Emphasize Cardio: Heresy? Perhaps. However, don’t kill the messenger because this actually makes sense. The era of standing, pumping out iso exercises, then proceeding to wait a full 90 seconds is dying. There is a time and place for that, but unless you’re aspiring to be a pro bodybuilder and starting your day with Dianabol smoothies, you should limit your time with those workouts.
MMA fighters, football players, and other athletes adhere to routines involving heavy, primary lifts followed by more cardio a day than you do in a week. We doubt they’re losing much muscle mass such as decades of gym rat bro science would warn; rather, they’re sporting better aesthetics, and better performance than most everyone else.
